Epiphany
by fictionalcandie
Summary: James Potter has changed. Oneshot.


**Disclaimer:** These characters and their world belong to JKR.

**Author's Notes:** Wow. Good old-fashioned OTP time. Written specifically for the birthday of a friend.

**o.o.o.o**

Lily left the train compartment, grimacing slightly as she heard the door close. She reached into her bag for another sweet -- fortification against the masses -- but they all seemed to be avoiding her usually nimble fingers. Cursing a little under her breath, she began walking, heading back to the compartment where her friends were waiting for her.

'Ravenclaws can be so annoying,' she told the empty corridor, in reference to the group she'd just left. One could only take so many philosophical conversations on the merits of Gobstones as a viable therapy procedure before one's sense of realism began to hurt.

Thirty seconds later, when she still couldn't grab a piece of the candy she _knew_ was floating around somewhere in her bag, she put her head down to watch as she rummaged. The next thing she knew, she'd run into someone. She dropped her bag and almost went tumbling to the floor after it.

'Careful there, Miss Evans,' said a deep and very male voice, as a pair of strong hands caught her arms to steady her. The voice was polite and the hands let go of her as soon as they saw she wasn't going to fall over.

Slightly bewildered, Lily looked up, into hazel eyes. Even if the glasses and the eternally messy hair didn't give him away, those eyes would. 'Oh-- I'm sorry, Potter. I didn't see you.'

'Quite all right.' The left corner of Potter's mouth had quirked up at her words, but he was still polite. His eyes hadn't even strayed from her face once so far.

'I, really, I'm sorry,' she repeated awkwardly, stepping back quickly. Before she could reach for it herself, he'd stooped and picked up her bag for her. She frowned. They'd been in each other's presence for over a minute, and he hadn't asked her out yet. She waited, staring at him.

His expression was bland as he held the bag out to her. 'Here.'

'Thank you,' Lily murmured as she accepted it. She had to look away from him, because she didn't know why she should be flustered by a _nice_ James Potter. Her eyes darted to her toes and as they did she noticed a flash of sliver on the chest of Potter's robes. 'Oh. And, uh, congratulations, on making Head Boy.'

She had to look back up to see him do it, but he nodded his thanks, a real smile working its way onto his face. 'Bit more of a surprise than you being Head Girl, I reckon.'

She nodded, unable to think of anything to say to that.

'I thought Sirius was going to die of shock,' he supplied, making conversation, after a breath of silence.

It occurred to Lily that they were standing less than a meter away from each other, absolutely the only people in the long, slender train hall. All Potter was doing was smiling blandly at her -- he'd even stepped aside a few moments ago, allowing her to pass if she wanted. She couldn't get her feet to leave the floor.

'Well,' she said when she decided he was obviously waiting for her to respond. 'I imagine that he was expecting it even less than the rest of us -- being privy to so many more of your schemes, and all.'

Potter's eyebrows went up, and she thought she saw his eyes flash behind his glasses. He sounded amused when he asked, 'What makes you think there were any we didn't get caught for?'

'You'd have to have got away with most of them, if they made you Head Boy,' Lily blurted, not really thinking over her response. She bit her tongue as soon as the words reached her ears, because she hadn't meant to fight with him. She was surprised when his initial reaction was just to narrow his eyes and regard her coldly.

'Ah. I guess you've got a right to think that,' he agreed coolly, after a few seconds of watching her. She gasped, because of all the things she'd thought he might say, that hadn't been anywhere in her mind. He added, 'You have a knack for seeing a fellow's worst moments, it seems.'

She could only stare at him, bemused. It was dawning on her that this was the James Potter she'd seen around for the final month or so of last term. This was _normal_ James Potter, somehow.

When he smiled down at her it was... it was warm and friendly and utterly disinterested, as if he didn't notice how confused she felt. 'Well, I have to run off now; Sirius and the lads won't forgive me for _anything_ if I'm gone too long.'

'Yes,' Lily said almost woodenly, with a sharp nod. She couldn't take her eyes off of his, and it was the strangest thing she'd ever felt. 'I should... go, as well.'

He appeared not to notice her fascination, nodding politely as she moved past him. It seemed he was being careful that no part of them brushed accidentally, or even at all. 'Be seeing you, Miss Evans.'

'Yes,' she repeated, craning to see over her shoulder so she could watch as he turned and walked off. He didn't glance back even once. She tilted her head wonderingly, feeling the world was off-kilter.

Something penetrated her suddenly sieve-like brain, and she hurried to her destination, because she knew she'd need to sit down and mull it over with the weight of attention it deserved.

'... He didn't try to get me to go on a date with him,' she murmured under her breath. They'd been alone together, and he hadn't asked her out. It was almost surreal.

Lily pinched herself hard, and smiled when it hurt. Something was beginning. She could feel it in the air around her. It wasn't unpleasant, only unusual, because she'd never before known what it was like to not want to strangle James Potter.

'This year will certainly interesting,' she declared. She didn't realise that her eyes were shining.

_**fin**_


End file.
